Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Well today starts my last transfer on my mission its really bittersweet. I gave a big hug goodbye to Sister Frye this morning and wished her good luck in her new life i will miss her a lot but am excited for her in every way. Sister Harmer is my new companion from San Jose California!!! Love her we were in the MTC together and we have already had a wonderful morning full of miracles. It doesn't seem real that its the last transfer conference and everything Sister Harmer and I are feeling like its a dream ha. This morning we called Brian Kekana and he is an angel. I haven't been able to get a hold of him in a really long time so I'm grateful that he answered. He just said, " Jenna my angel Jenna I feel so lost you must help me my angel Jenna." if you don't remember Brian he lives in South Africa and he is amazing. What a humbling moment to teach this man all the way in Africa and he wants to know his Savior. Sister Harmer and I just teared up a little as he poured out his soul to us we love him. He said " Jenna my God don't love me anymore so you pray for me." I said, " Brian God loves you so much and he wants to hear from you." I decided to sing him a primary song, I know my Heavenly Father loves me. After i sang it he said, " Jenna i feel it in my soul it is my song I feel it deep I miss your voice." We committed him to go to church and move his feet towards Christ, I'll never forget those words and the sincere desire he has to want to be better. We are never alone, and our Father in Heaven loves us he wants to hear from us.

Kelly!

So update on Kelly so excited! Well Sister Frye was in the temple yesterday so I called Kelly and she is doing amazing. Her and her boyfriend are getting married and then planning to be sealed in a year. She kept telling me over and over how grateful she is for Christine and I sharing with her the gospel and helping her feel the spirit. She said " Jenna this is all the Lords will because i feel his hand in my life right now as I'm learning from you." We see her being baptized sometime this month! Kelly lives in Las Vegas.

Tabatha David and Sam

Ah I love them sooo much! We met Tabatha and David on the tour with little Noah that got baptized. They are adorable and I love them. Tabatha said , Sister Mettra will you teach me how I can go inside the temple one day? So tender. So we put the referral through and Sister Missionaries in Salt Lake South are teaching them! We are so excited. What a blessing they want to be baptized so we will be going to that this transfer.

Doctrine and Covenants 122:7

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the bdeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee eexperience, and shall be for thy good.

I feel like this scripture perfectly depicts my Sunday ha not in a depressing way but I literally felt so burdened down. My companion was leaving and a lot was happening in the mission, people dropping us, family, everything was being pushed upon my heart. I was left in my room praying and crying harder then I have in a long time, I had walked my last steps i couldn't walk another that day just so much emotion. And as I sat up I wrote in my journal and realized that this moment was vital to pass to my last transfer. This mission means everything to me and as I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders I can literally be free when I trust the Lord. Now that doesn't mean its easy or even fair, but it is worth it. I received such a clear answer when I read the scriptures and prayed, this is all true. My heart is so full of gratitude to my Father in Heaven, I can do hard things and smile. Cause really your smile is the first testimony people see. ) And I know that the Lord carried me through this week there is no other way I would have made it. I'm so grateful for the strength i have gained through these many months. I know the atonement is real, and heals every moment of pain if we will let it.

I love you all so much and just wanted to end with a new favorite quote!

" God gave us memories, that we might have June roses in the December of our lives." - James Barrie

May we all look for the June roses and remember what the Lord has given us. Press forward in faith, this life is amazing and I love it all even the thorns. Thank you for your prayers I feel them.

What an amazing week Sister Frye and I had and I'm so sad that she is leaving me on Wednesday. But miracles came this week as they always do when we push through and give it our all. So this week was Halloween we did see some lovely costumes aka fake missionaries so that was funny. We also had a man that was in a huge truck drive past us with a bloody hockey mask and point at us it was really creepy. Sister Frye and i have matching Halloween shirts so it was tender we wore them and we had a mission Halloween party it was so fun. We watched The Best Two Years and I cried most of the movie either dying of laughter or feeling the power of this calling. I love being a missionary and never want to take off my tag. It just became a little more real that soon this time will be over and it kinda stung my heart. But I have plenty of time and I'm so excited for my last 6 weeks which will be amazing. Tuesday we got to go to the bountiful temple which is beautiful and we were spoken too by the temple president!!! I learned things during those 30 min that I will never forget, the Temple is a BLESSING. I am so grateful to be serving right now and who the Lord is always sending.

Eymard!

Ok this story is so tender because it goes to show that the Lord has the correct time on the watch always. Sister Frye and i were about to leave chat when we got one more so i accepted it and we started chatting with him he wanted to learn more oh and BTW he is in Ireland nbd. Well Sister Frye was on the phone so i called him made sure the number worked and it DID!! We taught him the next day and committed him to be baptized!!! He said, Jenna and Christine this is what I want of course I will be baptized. It was so powerful we were cheering silently and hugging each other!! Then today we called and taught him and it was amazing he stopped smoking, started listening to the BOM on mp3. And he said I'm praying like you told me to and its workin i stopped smokin and this week I'm going to stop drinkin coffee. He is so prepared ah I'm so excited!

Me and my new comp will continue teaching him. This was a legit miracle!!

Kelly

What a tender soul omg we love her! She came on chat ( miracle place) And we started teaching her about temples. Then we actually called her and taught her a lesson and guess what she is so prepared!! She said when you girls talk I can feel something different I've never felt this. And we said Kelly the Lord loves you so much and he wants this for you and we will be there every step of the way. It was very clear nothing was by chance. I said Kelly God wanted you on Chat today speaking with missionaries this is all apart of his plan. She said i have chills Jenna I know this is true. She wants to be baptized!

Well the Lord is truly blessing us so much and we are working so hard. I wish I could tell you everything but today Sister Frye and I are taking the zone to Chipotle!!! So we have limited time. But before I go, Hillary came last night and it was amazing!! She looks wonderful and is a glowing RM! i love her so much! And Noe came too and duh I love him! Tender moment seeing each other after almost 2 years.

I learned this week that I can do hard things and that is possible through the atonement. I have taken my understanding of the atonement to a whole new level! I love this gospel and I know that it is all true. We are so blessed to be apart of this. You are in my prayers. I love you.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Wow this week has been so busy I can't believe I'm back to this computer. In fact to help you understand how crazy its been let me tell you that Sister Frye and I ate lunch yesterday at 8:00pm! And that’s a normal thing there is just no time to even breath. We had the Nuskin convention come and it literally looks like china town haha I'm not even kidding they had to close down streets and stuff. So you can imagine what temple square looked like. We had over 1,000 Koreans! What a blessing to really see all nations flow here. The leaves are falling and the season is deff changing. I'm so cold again ahh time to get my coat! Sister Frye and I have seen so many miracles its hard to explain how I feel about the mission right now. I'm working so hard I feel like I am not even here ha if that makes sense. It all comes down to the next 2 months of my life and I am giving it all I have. I truly believe how you finish your mission is the setting for the rest of your life. I have been studying so hard I feel like I know so much more and love to teach its my favorite. President called all the Zone Leaders together for a little meeting and discussed how we can improve and stand a little taller. Sisters were saying training more, pump up meetings and the list goes on. And I raised my hand and said President i think this is a matter of Love. Ha he goes ok Jem Mettra go on. ( haha so funny he calls me the Jem) I said President I've been on the other side I know how it feels when your leaders don't love you. Love is spelled TIME. We need to do exchanges, get involved not sit back and blame them for numbers lowering we need to dig in. It’s amazing what happens with a simple smile or a good job. I truly feel that love solves all problems, they need to know that we care and we are on their team. It was amazing because the attitude changed from a distant solution to a very involved one. I really have a love hate relationship with being a leader ha! I miss our investigators!!

Y'all do that Polygamy ..

So I had this women named Janice call in this week and she was seriously crazy. She wanted me to tell her why she couldn't have more then one husband? She was joking for the first like 5 min and was just calling to be annoying. But she was from the south and i don't really get annoyed with people cause they are children of God. So I was patient and laughed with her. And she is like, Well hunny y'all aren't funny like this who are you anyways. And so we started talking a little more and she started to listen and ask a lot of questions. I started to tell her why this church is different from any other. I bore my testimony about The Book of Mormon and she was in awe. She was like how do I get one of those? So she accepted for us to teach her and send missionaries. It was incredible what happened as I just waited a little longer and the spirit told me what direction to go. Families! So i started telling her about how we believe families can be together forever. She paused and she said, hunny that might be the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. And I testified to her that God wanted her to know that. Ahh I love my mission!

This story was written by another missionary long ago. But I had this very moment on October 27.

Brothers and Sisters, as you know, the past two weeks I've been waiting for my mission call. During the time I was waiting I had a dream. I knew it was not an ordinary dream. I dreamed I was in the pre-existence and awaiting my call to come to earth. I was filled with the same anticipation and excitement that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream I was talking to a friend, and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I've never met him in this life. As we talked a messenger came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great excitement my friend and I opened the letter. I gave it to him and asked him to read it aloud. It said: "You've been called to earth in a special time and to a special land. You will be born to the true church and you will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will born into a land of plenty, in a land of freedom. You will go to earth in the United States of America."

My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call, and while we were rejoicing the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read aloud. His letter said: "You've been called to go to the earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land will be fraught with political and social difficulties - which will hinder the work of the Lord. You will be born in Costa Rica."

We wept, my friend and I, as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes, and said, "When we are down on earth, you in your choice land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, please come and find me."

The this young missionary, with tears in his eyes, said, "Brothers and Sisters, I have received my mission call. I am going to Costa Rica."

There is a sequel to the story. About a year after the sacrament meeting, the bishop received a letter from the missionary in Costa Rica. The letter had one sheet of paper in it and on that sheet written in capital letters were four words:

I FOUND MY FRIEND

October 27, 2011

Moon

This next story changed my life. So we started out the day running around V.I.P tours with people from all over the world and it was crazy. Now about 4pm Sister Frye and I still haven't eaten ha and this man walks up to us and in broken English asked if we could do tour. We smiled and said yes of course! So we took Jeshyo and Moon around they were from Korea. The spirit was so strong through out the whole tour and both loved the Savior. Moon was actually baptized years ago but couldn't go to church anymore because of cultural. We asked if she was happy and she just put her head down. Our hearts ached for her and we knew God had placed her in our hands for this moment. We talked to them about temples and many other things but everything changed as we walked into the Tabernacle. The spirit wrapped around us just like a blanket I've never felt it like that before. We both felt prompted to talk about music and the power it has. Moon said oh yes the Elders sang me this hymn ( in very broken English though so we can barely understand her.) The spirit told us everything. I randomly said, oh Abide with me? And I just started singing very quietly Abide with me. Moon's eyes lite up and she started to cry and so did Jesheyoo. They said another, so I sang I need thee every hour more tears poured and they placed their hands on their hearts it was so sweet. Then the man said Joseph Smith one. So i stood up and sang two verses of Joseph Smith's first prayer by the end of the song i had 30 Koreans filming me on their I Pads hahah. I said, Moon how are you feeling? She said I know its true and she was dabbing her eyes. We all sat in complete silence no words were spoken but the look in her eyes I knew she was feeling it. And she said thank you, I very blessed to meet you today. This change me life. We promised her that if she would pray and read The Book of Mormon she would have the courage to go back to church. It has been 10 years but she still felt it. I knew in that moment that is exactly where i needed to be no where else. If I was only given my voice for that one moment it would be worth it to me, it was so clear. Moon hugged us goodbye and said thank you so much thank you. I will never forget my feelings and how precious she really is. That hour changed my whole mission. I know that I promised Moon i would find her at here. No other mission in the world would I be able to meet so many of my friends before this life that I promised I would find. I'm so honored and humbled right now.

Korean Love..

Well before go i must share what happened this morning! Haha I was in West Gate covering with another sister and 4 little Koreans enter the gates and cant really speak any English at all! Well i go out and start talking to them. Then one gets really close to me and says BLUE EYES!!! Picture picture!! HAHAA i was like yeah sure picture!!! So they lined up and took pictures with Blue eyes. And one of them ( Mother you will love this) Puts their head on my shoulder and says awww blue eyes so pretty. Then another wraps her arms around me and says, You are very Beautiful. And I said aww thanks and we even took group pictures with peace signs and everything! If i had access to pictures in Korea I would have a Lot and many videos. We also took a picture hugging the tree with peace signs cause they wanted too! hahah i love Asians they are sooo funny! What a funny morning.

All my love! Halloween will be lots of fun I'm sure! I will have plenty of stories next week...

Oh Ps i was at welfare Square this week and i met this guy in the cafeteria. And we became friends and he was like aww i love you Sister Mettra! And he is homeless and stuff and he is so tender! He is a member and everything! He has since found a house and everything and works in the temple! Well I saw him yesterday and i said aww Hi SCOTT!! And it was so cute he gives me a big hug and goes, oh its my Buddy i missed you!! How tender! I think I love homeless and Welfare people!

I LOVE YOU ALL SOOO MUCH! If you really need a life changing moment this week, ask God and be prepared to receive it! I promise it will come he does it for me everyday and I know its so i don't feel any of the pain in my back! What a blessing!

Love Sister Mettra

Ps I guess I'm going with the trend of the rest of the world. I'm dressing up as a Mormon Missionary apparently it’s the hottest costume this year haha... difference is I'm Real! LOVE IT!